Making the most of 'new beginnings'

Welcome to a new academic year at IU-Bloomington! For each of us, this week marks a "new beginning," whether you are a freshman starting your college career, a returning student facing new challenges, a graduate student preparing to plunge into your chosen field or an international scholar who has come from afar to join the IU family. \nWe all begin this new year in a "red-hot buzz zone." The buzz you are hearing everywhere on campus started when Newsweek identified IU as the nation's "Hottest Big State School." The magazine cited IU's combination of great university traditions and cutting-edge information technology as unique among big public universities across the country. \nNewsweek got it right. During the last 200 years, this University has remained true to the values upon which it was founded in the 1800s. These values include a fierce devotion to learning and a commitment to cultivating both the intellect and character of its students.\nIU blends great traditions, such as classical orchestras and one of the world's best opera programs with courses covering the history of rock 'n' roll. It combines Hoosier hospitality with the advantages of a truly international community of scholars that draws students from 130 countries and all 50 states. It couples traditions, such as the Little 500, with cutting-edge information technology resources. Our library links one of the nation's very best research collections with the biggest information commons in the state. \nHow can you make the most of the special blend of tradition and technology that is IU?\n• Expand your horizons. Take advantage of IU's rich cultural resources. Spend an afternoon in the art museum or visit the Lilly Library, which counts among its collections a Babylonian tablet from 200 B.C. and an exceptional collection of American comic books. Attend several of the 1,500 lectures, theatrical, dance or musical performances that will be offered on campus this year. \n• Embrace IU's diversity. Your fellow students and professors will challenge you to view the world from new perspectives. Remember that we often learn the most from those who are least like us. \n• Enter into a dialogue with your professors both inside and outside the classroom. As a student at the nation's most "unwired" university, you can engage in conversation and debate with your professors and classmates any time, anywhere. \n• Engage in community service. As you strive to take advantage of all the University has to offer, think of what you can offer others. Do your part to contribute to the caring atmosphere on campus and in the Bloomington community. Take a service learning course. Get involved in one of IU's 400 student groups. \nAs you embark on this new academic year, keep in mind the words of the American philosopher Henry David Thoreau, who said, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." \nThe faculty and staff of America's "Hottest Big State School" and I are here to help you on your way. Go boldly. Nurture a passion for learning. Develop a deeper appreciation for the arts. Embrace new ideas and perspectives. Make a difference. Do your part to safeguard the values upon which this great institution was founded.\nYou can write to President Herbert at iupres@indiana.edu.